Super Smash Forever
by Skylo
Summary: In a shocking event, most of Smash Mansion is left empty from a mass kidnapping. Luigi and a few others must enlist the help of unexpected friends to save them before it's too late.
1. Chapter 1

Super Smash Forever

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**SUMMARY: In a shocking event, most of Smash Mansion is left empty from a mass kidnapping. Luigi and a few others must enlist the help of unexpected friends to save them before it's too late.**

**PAIRINGS: Many, mostly canon, a few yaoi non-canon but not anything too serious. Some yuri if I'm in the mood**

**WARNINGS: Torture, language, sexuality, a few other things.**

**RATING: R**

**A/N: I apologize if there are inconsistencies. I tried my best, even went back and revised a few thousand times, but some of it still seems off to me. Anyway, enjoy!**

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On shaky legs, he stands. He looks, but doesn't see. The air is stale, dusty, and he coughs. He blinks, moves his arms and legs–no injuries, thank the stars–and licks his dry lips. There's a tiny light to his left, and he stares at it until his vision clears a little. It's Lucario, nursing a small ball of energy in his hands. The blue glow against his face makes him look mysterious, and he opens his eyes briefly before closing them to resume his meditating.

"Mario," he says quietly. "It's good to see you're up. I was starting to think I'd be alone all night."

Mario rubbed his head, realizing that his hat was missing.

"Night? How can-a you be sure?"

Lucario chuckled. "Don't mock me, human. I know."

Mario nodded slowly, willing to trust the Pokémon's judgment. He often "just knew" things, and he was never wrong. Mario curled his fists around the metal bars that separated them, looking at the light again.

"Can't-a you make that bigger?"

Lucario hissed, making Mario jump, and closed his eyes, as if to re-center himself.

"I can not. It seems our captors are pumping the air with anesthetics. My powers are drained."

To confirm, Mario attempted to make a fireball. His hand sparked weakly, letting off a pitiful amount of smoke. The drugs would explain his disorientation and fatigue, he supposed. He sighed heavily, dropping his arms to his sides. They suddenly felt like lead, as if his sorry excuse for a fireball had drained all the energy out of them.

"Clever..." he mused.

"Cowardly," Lucario snapped, practically fuming. Most of his fight came from the aura–take that away, and he was helpless. He hated it, it was a feeling that–as a Pokémon–he'd never experienced. Mario gave him a sympathetic look, moving to pat him on the knee, but then thought better of it. Lucario had sharp teeth, and he'd hate to make him angrier. He sat back on the ground, feeling the concrete with a gloved hand.

"Do-a you know who-a took us?"

"No, unfortunately. But I have a suspicion it was someone in the mansion. We keep some shady company. I warned you some time ago that they couldn't be trusted."

Mario shook his head sadly. None of the smashers had given him any reason not to trust them, not after Tabuu was defeated. For the most part, they'd behaved, and even mortal enemies seemed to push their differences aside. Everything was going swimmingly until this. Maybe he had been blind to it, maybe everything wasn't as peachy as he'd imagined it to be. Sure, tensions did run high sometimes, but he saw his housemates as the individuals who helped him defeat Tabuu, and for that he gave them each his respect. He sighed, frustrated. How could he have been so stupid?

Lucario seemed to sense the way he was feeling–which probably wasn't a bad guess–and said, "Don't blame yourself. You're a good man. Hope is not lost–a few of us were left behind."

Mario lifted his head, interested.

"Really? Do you think they can-a find us? Can-a you tell where we are?"

Lucario grunted, almost as if in pain.

"..we're not...on any world I know."

Mario smacked his palm against his forehead, sinking back onto the floor in defeat.

"_Mama mia..._"

"Don't give up just yet. We have some extraordinary friends on our team. I know they'll find us."

"How can you be-a so–"

Lucario was giving him a look that made him shut his mouth real quick.

"Let's-a hope you're right."

Lucario nodded curtly, then his head shot up and he looked around, ears perked.

"The others are waking up. Don't tell them too much. We don't want a panic on our hands."

"Right," Mario said, nervous about what he was going to say. Being the leader was a difficult task; he always had to be careful around the others. Sometimes he had to break up fights and settle arguments, usually leaving with some sour feelings towards himself. It was tedious and exhausting, and he knew news like this could never go well. They might even blame him for refusing the new security system Luigi had suggested. Mario had insisted that any intruder would have to deal with him personally. He'd promised to protect them...

Mario sighed and shook his head, feeling guilty. How could he protect them if he couldn't even protect himself?

A groan from the cage to his right startled him from his thoughts.

"That must've been some party..."

Mario couldn't help but laugh as Snake sat up, rubbing his head. He looked both ways, realization starting to dawn on him.

"Wait, what? Please tell me we're not in one of those S&M camps."

"No, Snake, we've been kidnapped," Lucario answered in an irritated tone. He never was too fond of the mercenary.

"Yeah? Who'd we piss off this time?"

Mario shrugged.

"Dunno. It could-a be someone we know, maybe even one of our friends, or someone we don't-a know. We've been-a trying to figure it out."

Snake grunted, which was an acceptable response to him. He took a look around the room again, not seeing much of anything.

"Where are we?"

"Uh..we're..."

"We don't know," Lucario cut in. He shot Mario a warning glare and then turned his attention back towards the aura.

Snake whipped a grenade from his belt and was about to yank the pin out of it when he realized freeing himself would involve blowing himself to smithereens. He muttered a curse word and tucked it away.

"Can't you guys get us out of here?"

"No. There's drugs-a in the air, our powers are useless."

Snake cursed some more and rummaged through his pockets, searching for a bomb small enough to blow open his cage without killing himself. Mario sighed.

"Don't bother."

Snake growled under his breath. "Can't stand cages...bring back too many memories..need to get out of here..."

Mario reached between the bars and placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly, making him jump.

"Don't-a worry. There were a couple of us who weren't-a captured. They'll find us."

Snake gave him a shaky nod. Snake wasn't the type of person to get scared, _ever_, but it seemed that powerlessness was bringing out the worst in everyone, even the strongest of them. The thought was unsettling.

Suddenly, he became worried about Peach, and his dear brother. Peach might be able to handle herself, but Luigi was fragile, especially in deep dark places–though no one could blame him for that after the incident with the Boos. He searched the room, looking for the familiar, green hat belonging to his twin. Unfortunately, it was much too dark. He grumbled, peeved, and turned to Lucario.

"Who is a-here?"

"Peach is here, unharmed, and growing conscious. I cannot sense Luigi."

Mario gave a sigh of relief.

Snake raised an eyebrow.

"That doesn't mean they didn't kill him."

Mario reached over and thwacked him on the head.

"_Mama mia_, don't-a talk like that."

Snake pushed his hand away and rubbed his head, annoyed.

"I'm just saying–"

"Don't!" Mario barked, and for once, Snake shut his mouth. Still, Mario couldn't get the thought out of his head. An image of Luigi laying dead in a ditch somewhere flashed through his mind, and he covered his eyes with his hands, sucking in a deep breath.

"_Mama mia_..."

Snake had an apologetic look in his eyes, but didn't say anything. Far be it from him to actually apologize. Mario lifted his head from his hands as he heard a couple more groans from somewhere in the room, and a voice called out, "Mario? Mario!"

"Peach?"

"Mario! Where are we?"

"Peach, just, uh, just a-listen to the sound of my voice. We've been kidnapped. Stay calm, we have people who can-a rescue us."

He heard Peach sigh heavily.

"What a nightmare."

"I know-a what you mean."

Snake gave up on breaking out and stood up.

"Okay, who's not dead?" he called.

There were several shouts of surprise as his outburst woke most of the brawlers, and a couple answered an affirmative. Some started yelling for their friends and panicked when there wasn't an answer. Mario scrambled to his feet and cleared his throat, seeing it as a time when he was needed.

"Okay everyone just-a needs to calm down. I'll explain everything once everyone is a-quiet..."

Surprisingly, the commotion actually died down, and he rubbed his temples, taking a deep breath.

Here we go.

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**Whoo! First chappie! Yes, I know the accents are weird. I'll cut down on them I promise. Feedback is much appreciated :3**


	2. Chapter 2

Luigi woke that morning on the floor. His head felt groggy, but he just brushed it off as sleepiness. He looked over and noticed Mario's bed was empty; it often was by the time he woke up, but his bed was always made. He blinked and stood up, attempting to stretch his aching limbs. Maybe Mario just forgot? No, Mario never forgot anything. He must've left in a rush. Maybe there was a kitchen fire or a fight or something. Mario was always busy.

He glanced at the clock. 3:24 is what it read. That couldn't be right, could it? Mario would've came up to wake him at around noon. What happened?

He dashed from the room, pj's and all, and downstairs. He screeched to a halt when he passed the living room, shocked at what he saw. There was a small group of brawlers–still dressed in pajamas, just like him–all looking frightened and confused. He tentatively stepped inside, surveying the meek supply of fighters that had been left behind. Meta Knight, Jigglypuff, Nana, Squirtle, and Lucas. Including himself, that was six. He covered his mouth to silence a gasp, the expressions on their faces telling him everything he needed to know.

Meta Knight looked up at him, his glowing yellow eyes revealing his frustration. Besides Lucario, he had the most heightened senses of anyone in the house. He was clearly angry about being snuck up on, without a chance to defend himself, or Kirby, who he'd grown fond of. Meta Knight was probably angrier that he hadn't been taken, so he couldn't face these enemies himself, or possibly because he assumed they didn't see him as much of a threat. It was most likely both–Meta Knight was kinda high-and-mighty like that.

Nana was most upset about the loss of Popo, her closest friend. They fought as a pair, one could even say he was her other half, and she was devastated without him.

Squirtle was in a similar state. Without a trainer to instruct him, he'd never know what attacks to use or what to do or where to go. He wasn't exactly a smart creature; he needed guidance, like most Pokémon. His trainer was like his brain, and he felt almost as if it had been ripped from his skull, leaving him as just an empty body. He sat, head bowed, not moving, not really feeling much of anything. Just loss. Horrible loss.

Lucas missed Ness. He felt vulnerable without the other boy around, and that kind of security was something he sorely needed right then. He cried silently into one of the sofa's pillows, squeezing it as if it could bring some sort of comfort.

Jigglypuff, on the other hand, suffered the most. Aside from being a delicate and sensitive creature, she was friends with many if the smashers and was usually cheerful and energetic. With so many friends missing, she was brought low, her normally bright cyan eyes had gone dull and her ears drooped.

Luigi's heart broke at the sight. What about Mario? His twin? His better half? What happens when there's no leader there to help them through these tough times?

He froze as realization set in. As his brother, he was second-in-command. It all fell on his shoulders now. He opened his mouth to speak, but Meta Knight beat him to it.

"Well? Aren't you Mario's brother? Say something to these poor souls."

Luigi cleared his throat.

"I..I'm.."

He couldn't get any words out. What could he possibly say that would help them at a time like this? Mario would know what to say–he always did.

Meta Knight sighed loudly.

"We're doomed."

Luigi stood there another second, still struggling to find his voice, then clenched his fists. Screw words.

He rushed forward and first pulled Lucas into his arms, Nana second, Jigglypuff third. Soon they'd all been caught in a group hug, though Meta Knight had joined reluctantly. When he finally released them, Lucas clung on a while longer, sobbing into his shoulder until he could calm down. Then he smiled weakly at him, grateful for his kindness, and Luigi felt tears sting at his eyes. Meta Knight was refusing to look at him, but anyone could tell it just meant he was grateful too. He needed more comforting than he let on. Luigi took a deep breath and sat on the floor across from them, indian-style.

"I'm a-not gonna lie. We got a crisis on our hands. But now-a is not the time to feel sorry for ourselves. We need a plan. Our friends are still out there somewhere, scared-a and confused. This is up to us."

Meta Knight would've raised an eyebrow if he had one.

"Yeah, how? I'm not sure if you noticed but..we don't know where to start!"

Luigi waved a finger at him.

"That's-a no way to think about it. Snake had a camera in his-a room, remember?"

Meta Knight eyes flashed briefly, and he jumped off the couch and began heading down the hallway. Luigi followed close behind, the others right on his heels. He paused just outside Snake's room and turned around. The other three were more shaken up than he and Meta Knight–he didn't want them to watch one of their comrades get kidnapped. It would just make matters worse. He instructed them to wait outside as he and Meta Knight entered. Snake's room was normally locked and bolted to the teeth, but he supposed it would be open after the break-in. The thought was eerie, that even Snake could be bagged and tagged so easily.

The room looked almost empty, except for the bed. Meta Knight reached underneath it and pulled out Snake's laptop, opened it, and entered the password. Luigi gave him a strange look.

"You must-a be like a ninja, yeah?"

Meta Knight chuckled.

"Actually, he trusted me with this information. He was the one who taught me to use a computer.." he sighed. "He was a good man."

Luigi raised an eyebrow at this.

"Was? He still-a is a good man. He's not dead. None of-a them are," he insisted, though his expression said otherwise. He was still so worried about Mario. He refused to give up hope.

Meta Knight pulled up the video and snorted.

"You still believe that? Why haven't they broken free yet, huh? If they're still alive, they'd be home by now. There's no cell that would hold them."

Luigi's face fell, and for a second he actually was convinced. He clenched his fists.

"So what? We just-a give up? We are not done until I say so! I'm in-a charge now, so you'll just-a have to deal with it!"

Meta Knight growled like an animal. One thing was for sure, he did _not_ like being bossed around. At this point, the video had loaded, so instead of saying something he'd sorely regret, he clicked 'play'. After a bit of fast-forwarding, they came to the right scene. Snake was asleep, snoring, and Meta Knight almost laughed. A dark figure came into the room, dressed in a cloak, followed by others in similar attire. The first one pulled out a white towel and a bottle, pouring its contents onto the towel (and some onto the floor) and abruptly pushing it in Snake's face. Snake didn't react much beyond a silent groan, and the figures–who were rather short, he noticed–hoisted Snake up off the bed and out of the room.

Luigi covered his mouth in horror, and Meta Knight looked away from the screen before slamming it shut.

"_Mama mia_.."

"So they drugged us. All of us," Meta Knight spat. "Weaklings."

Luigi opened the computer again and hesitantly rewound it, looking more closely at every detail. Meta Knight saw it first.

"There! On the shoulder, there's a symbol."

It was an F in some sort of fancy writing, surrounded by a golden band. Luigi stared at it a second.

"Is there a way to–"

"I'm on it," Meta Knight replied, nudging him out of the way. He pressed a few keys, and a machine on the other end of the room whirred. Meta Knight removed the photo from the printer. It was clearer, as if he'd enhanced it somehow. Luigi gawked.

"How did–?"

"You can thank Snake," Meta Knight said, tucking the picture into his cape and moving towards the door. Luigi shook his head–he found technology both confusing and fascinating at the same time.

They joined the others and Luigi began leading them down a series of hallways.

"Where are we going?" Nana asked.

Luigi glanced at her, then the rest of them before giving Meta Knight a meaningful look.

"We're-a rebuilding the battleship Halberd."


	3. Chapter 3

It was heartbreaking to see. His mighty heroes, wailing and scrabbling at the bars and fearing for their lives. Mario's talk hadn't eased their tensions much, to his dismay. Everyone was wondering why their powers didn't work, why they couldn't see straight, but he didn't tell them. Maybe if they just thought it was a phase they'd calm down, stop making noise.

He did a head count–all but five of them were there. Well, that discounted Lucario's theory of it being one of the shadier smashers. He was grateful his brother didn't see them like this. He probably wouldn't have lasted the night.

Snake was going insane in his cage. He paced nonstop, muttering to himself and occasionally pulling out a grenade only to put it away again. Mario was afraid he'd blow the place up, and everyone with him. There was no way to reassure him.

Peach would call out to him every couple minutes, asking questions or just talking. She seemed cool and collected about the whole thing, but of course, she was used to being captured. He was glad that she could stay so calm–it helped him keep his head, too.

The rest of them were scared, hungry, and most of all, bored. It had been a day, maybe two, and nobody had come to talk to them. everyone was getting anxious. Besides not knowing who their captors were, they didn't know what they wanted or why they'd taken them. It was unnerving, to think that there might not even _be_ a purpose for this, that someone was just toying with them for no reason at all. It made Mario eager to meet with these jerks, so he could give them a piece of his mind.

He looked over at Lucario, who was still struggling to keep his aura alive. He said that if he let it go out, he'd lose all his power. He must've been exhausted by then, but it was the only shred of hope he had left. Mario stayed up and attempted to entertain him with stories, but it seemed for every one he told, Lucario had one that was three times better.

He sighed in defeat, slumping against the bars of his cage.

"I don't-a know why I try."

Lucario chuckled weakly. "I assure you, human, I find your experiences quite...amusing."

Mario smiled a little bit, relieved he was able to help someone.

Suddenly, a door on the other side of the room swung open, making the brawlers shrink away from the harsh light. Had that always been there? A figure dressed in black entered the room, and when his eyes finally adjusted, he noticed he had a small envelope in his hands. He opened it and pulled out a tiny piece of paper, bringing it up to his face–which was shadowed by its hood–and spoke in a voice that was clearly edited.

"Olimar."

Olimar was in the cell across from Mario's. Since last night, his Pikmin had been wandering from cage to cage, slipping between the bars and offering comfort to the smashers. Unfortunately, they couldn't seem to pick the locks–many broke their stems trying.

Olimar wedged himself into the corner of his cell, as if somehow he could phase through it. The figure swept to his cage and pulled out a ring of keys, searching through them until he found the correct one. He reminded Mario of the grim reaper, sealing the fate of those for whom the bell tolls. What would he do to him? Interrogate him? Kill him? Torture him? All three of those things were terrifying, and Olimar..because of his size...

Mario shuddered. He had to do something about this.

"Wait..you can't-a take him!"

The stranger retracted the hand that was about to grab Olimar and turned to him.

"Why not?"

"He's..I..take-a me instead!"

The stranger looked down at the piece of paper.

"I can't do that. This asks specifically for–"

Olimar, seeing his chance, dashed out between his legs and made for the door. He swooped down and caught Olimar by the leg, and he screamed and writhed, trying desperately to free himself.

The stranger snickered.

"For that, I think I'll take the Pikmin too."

His eyes widened, and he tried to kick at the stranger as he moved around the room, scooping up Pikmin that were scrambling to flee. Once he had a good handful of them by their stems, the stranger motioned towards the door, and another person stepped inside, dragging a chair behind him and holding a video camera. Olimar froze, going completely limp as he realized what was coming next. While the other set up, the first person spoke again.

"You see, here at FU, we like to keep our customers happy. They like to watch," he explained.

_FU? This is a joke, right?_

Apparently not. Soon Olimar was strapped to the chair, still motionless.

"Let's start with santa's little helpers, hm?"

The stranger took a thin, white Pikmin and held it in front of Olimar's face. Olimar just stared at every action, not blinking, emotionless. He didn't scream as the Pikmin was ripped limb from limb, right before his eyes. Several smashers turned away, a couple vomited, and some screamed. Mario couldn't avert his eyes–he was paralyzed at the horrific sight.

There were disgusting noises, bones cracking, flesh ripping, Pikmin screeching in agony. Ghosts filled the space around them, mingling with each other before fading off into the beyond. Some he killed selectively, choosing a certain part to tear off, and then watching as the blood flowed from each one. Some he simply pulled the heads off, some he ripped in half. Blood spattered all over Olimar's glass helmet, and he still didn't move. His eyes had gone dead, showing nothing but emptiness. It was terrifying, to see someone stop being part of their own body.

When all the Pikmin had finally died and their ghosts dissipated, the stranger turned towards Mario and laughed.

"I think I have something special your little_boyfriend_ tomorrow. But first–"

The stranger lifted his boot and kicked Olimar's shin. He didn't use a lot of force, but Olimar was so tiny, it actually did some damage. There was a dull crack, and he snapped out of his trance long enough to scream. As tears welled up in his eyes, the stranger dropped to his level and tsked.

"I'd shut up if I were you. You wouldn't wanna make me mad."

Olimar closed his mouth tight, sniffed, and glared up at him.

"Do your worst, you monster."

The stranger hissed.

"Olimar! Shut up!" Falcon called. "Don't be stupid!"

The stranger chuckled darkly.

"What's this? _Another boyfriend?_"

Olimar looked away.

"Falcon, this isn't your business."

"It became my business as soon as he messed with you. What, you can't pick on someone your own size?"

"Shut up, Falcon!"

The stranger growled.

"No, this is even better. I'm sure my client won't mind if you joined in the fun."

"Yeah? And what's that supposed to mean?"

The door to his cage swung open, and the stranger grabbed him violently. The drugs made him weak, and he was punched in the head until he stopped squirming. His whole body slumped over. It was terrifying to see the big, strong man go limp like that. The stranger tossed him onto the ground.

"You will learn respect," he huffed.

Falcon slowly pulled himself off the floor, shooting him a glare.

"I'll never respect a pig like you."

He toppled over as he was kicked in the ribs. Olimar cried out.

"Stop it! Don't hurt him!"

"Aw, look how cute. Is this love I see?" the stranger snickered, pushing Falcon onto his back with his boot.

"Get up, you're not hurt."

Falcon breathed hard, his muscled arms struggling to push himself up off the ground. Once he finally stood on two shaky legs, he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Okay, what do you want with me?"

Olimar squirmed against his restraints, screaming bloody murder.

"Leave him alone! Come on, you can't handle me?!"

Mario strained to listen as the stranger leaned over and whispered something in Falcon's ear. Falcon shot him one last glare and approached Olimar, but not in an I'm-trying-to-free-you way.

"What did you tell him?! What did you say, sicko?!"

Falcon stared at Olimar, who stared back. They shared a look that nobody else could possibly understand. Olimar lowered his head, suddenly falling dead silent. He seemed to understand exactly what was happening, though nobody else in the room did.

"Close your eyes," Falcon said.

Olimar obeyed.

Mario wished he had done the same.

The next thing he knew, Olimar was screaming. Screaming so loud even those who covered their ears could hear it. Screaming loud enough to drive Snake into hysterics, to send chills down everyone's spine and make them flinch at every cry.

The stranger had taken out a hot metal rod and handed it to Falcon, forcing him to press it to Olimar's body repeatedly. It melted his suit onto his skin and left glowing red marks and he shrieked and struggled and spat cuss words that the little ones probably shouldn't have heard.

After a while, the stranger whispered something else in his ear, and Falcon growled low in his throat.

"No."

Mario heard Peach gasp from a nearby cage, and he realized that he could see her now. She looked terrible, as if she hasn't slept in days. Her face was twisted as if she were in pain, obviously overhearing what the man said.

He signaled to her with his hand, trying to get her attention, but she was frozen in shock.

Falcon was giving the man a look that could kill.

"You'll just have to beat me. I won't do that."

Olimar looked between the two a couple times, still breathing hard, looking terrified.

"What?"

"Do it!"

"No, Falcon, don't listen to him!" Peach cried, thrusting her hand through the bars of her cell to latch onto his leg. He looked down at her.

"Don't worry, miss."

The stranger let out an unearthly screech, snatching the rod from Falcon and pushing it against his cheek. Falcon cried out and fell to the floor.

"I guess that part would be important to you, wouldn't it?"

He snatched up Falcon by his collar and untied Olimar, throwing them both in Mario's cell.

"There, , why don't you take care of your men?" he sneered, slamming the door shut. Mario watched him until he left.

He glanced over at Lucario, who had somehow managed to maintain his concentration through all of it. He looked up at Mario, then at the other two, then closed his eyes again.

"He's right. It would be wise to heal them."

Mario nodded, turning back to Olimar and Falcon. Olimar lay still, pain coming in waves all over his body, and Falcon was trying to comfort him. Suddenly Mario wondered if there really _was_something between them.

He quickly pulled out some medical supplies from his pocket–luckily he always carried some–and began figuring out what to give who. There was a high possibility he might need some of it for later.

He had about half a tube of ointment, two rolls of gauze, a pack of bandaids, part of a maximum tomato, and a couple of surgical tools he surely hoped he wouldn't have to use.

Really, he wished he could save all of it, but the little guy was in so much pain he couldn't see straight. Even if he used everything he had, it still wouldn't help enough to justify wasting all his supplies. Then something occurred to him.

"Link!" he called.

"Yeah?" Link answered. His voice was shaky.

"Do you have any heart containers?"

Link reached into a satchel on his hip and pulled one out, staring at it.

"One."

"I need it."

Link continued to stare at it. What if he or Zelda got hurt? He'd need it then. He looked over at her. She was in the cell next to his, playing with her hair nervously. She was used to being captured constantly, but it was never like this. Ganondorf was more annoying than violent towards her, ranting on about world domination and such. This person...he could do some serious damage to both of them.

"What if someone else needs it?"

"_Mama mia,_ Link! Didn't you see what just-a happened to him?"

Link turned away, clutching the heart container to his chest protectively. It was horrible what happened, that much was true, but he didn't wanna risk it. He barely knew the guy, and even though it didn't feel right to leave him like that, he had to, for Zelda's sake.

Speaking of Zelda, she was staring at him like he was crazy. He could barely see her, but he made out the words she mouthed to him.

'What are you doing?'

Link gave her a meaningful look, trying to convey his intentions with his eyes. Then Olimar cried out as Falcon tried to pull off his suit, which had fused to his skin. As Falcon began murmuring words of comfort, several brawlers in nearby cages glared Link's direction. Zelda was furious, and Link could see her face start turning red, even in the darkness.

"He has a wife and kids. I swear by the goddess if you don't give it to him, I'll never speak to you again," Zelda hissed.

Well, that changed a few things in a couple different ways. Link relented, setting the heart piece on the floor to slide it under the bars and towards Mario's cage.

But the concrete was rough, and it stopped halfway there, just out of reach for anyone near it. Everyone groaned, except Olimar, who chuckled weakly.

"Well I'm just getting the best of luck today."


	4. Chapter 4

"This is insane! Do you know how long it took to make the Halberd? The cost? Where will we find workers, hm? Unless you assume the five of us will just re-build it ourselves..?"

Luigi wasn't listening to him. He'd been poring over the blueprints to the battleship for a good ten minutes, occasionally marking it with a piece of white chalk and making mental notes of things they'd need. Meta Knight shook him harshly.

"You're seriously not considering making us build it by ourselves, are you?"

Luigi didn't look up.

"No, of course-a not. Don't you worry about it, I've-a got a plan."

"A plan? Why haven't you told us? At least tell _me_! Come onnn!"

Luigi sighed, standing up and placing his hands on Meta Knight's shoulders.

"Look-a, I have a mission for you. Now-a this is important. We have to a-make sure they're not-a on any nearby worlds. You're the only one of us who can fly. I want you to scout-a them out as much as you can. Let me worry about the rest, okay?"

Meta Knight was still for a second. Luigi knew he didn't like being told what to do, and that Meta Knight resented him because he thought he was being foolish, but he really needed it done, and he was the only guy for the job. Meta Knight gave him a strange look, somewhere between distaste and pity, then sighed.

"Which ones?"

Luigi pulled out a map and began circling parts of it with a red marker.

"Check the Mushroomy Kingdom first, to make-a sure it wasn't just another one of-a Bowser's tricks, then-a Hyrule Castle so we know it wasn't Ganondorf. Wario isn't smart enough to make a plan that's evil like-a this. Wolf...I'm not-a sure about him. He never-a seemed to have a vendetta against anyone but Fox. And you..."

"Me? What makes you think _I'd_ do something like this?" Meta Knight challenged.

"Look, you don't always seem like-a the good guy. I'm-a just covering my bases. Besides, you really think I'd ask you to do this if I didn't-a trust you?"

Meta Knight grumbled something under his breath, snatching the paper away from him and pushing past him.

Luigi shook his head sadly. He'd come around eventually. In the meantime, he needed workers, and fast. He turned to Lucas, who was playing sullenly with the odd creature he kept in his pocket.

"Lucas, can you-a come here?"

Lucas stood and scrambled over to him, excited to help.

"I need-a you to talk to the Waddle Dees and Pikmin. They can-a help us build the ship."

"Where can I find them?"

"Well-a King Dedede keeps some-a Waddle Dees in his room, and the rest are-a back at his castle. Olimar keeps some-a Pikmin in his room as-a well, and the rest are-a in the courtyard."

Lucas tilted his head.

"I've never seen any Pikmin out there."

Luigi sighed.

"You really thought-a Olimar was planting petunias out-a there?"

Lucas giggled–god it was refreshing to see him smile.

"I guess that was kinda suspicious, huh? Yeah, I can talk to them. I'm not sure if they'll listen to me though. They're very loyal."

Luigi nodded.

"Just-a try, okay"

Lucas gave a mock salute and rushed off into the mansion.

"Let's-a see, what else?"

He turned and noticed Nana sitting there.

"Hey-a, can you-a help me with something?"

Nana sat up straight and nodded eagerly.

"Anything!"

"I want you to-a go to my room and look-a under Mario's bed. There should be a vent. There's some-a tools in the garage you can use. I need all the coins from in there. You-a might need a wagon."

Nana's eyes widened.

"Tools?"

"Yeah, like-a screwdrivers?" Luigi made a motion with his hands.

"Oh, no I can't do that..that's a man's job."

Luigi was surprised. A fighter like her, subordinated by several men, it was unheard of that someone like her would be such a–well a girl. She was young, yes, but strong. You'd think she'd take the example of some of the older, feminist women of the group. He stared at her a second, then shook his head.

"There's-a no such thing as 'man's work'. Just-a do it."

She looked unconvinced, but headed off to the garage anyway. Luigi sighed.

"_Mama mia..._"

Squirtle and Jigglypuff bounded up to him.

"Jiggly?"

Luigi didn't need to understand her to know they wanted an assignment too. He thought for a second, then put his finger up in an "a-ha!" motion.

"Do-a you two have any friends?"


	5. Chapter 5

Olimar had stopped moving. At this point, everyone was trying desperately to reach the heart piece, but to no avail. The closest one to it was Diddy Kong, and the poor chimp was unconscious. Donkey Kong had been trying to wake him up for hours now. He was one of the ones that fainted. Maybe the shock of it all was too much to handle. The only reassuring sign was his breathing.

Falcon had pulled Olimar completely into his lap. He'd slumped over, defeated, and it seemed he'd already come to terms with the fact that Olimar could very well die. Mario was still hoping beyond hope that he'd be alright. Nothing except that heart piece or his sheer will to live could save him now. Mario heard his heart pound in his ears with each passing second. Minutes felt like hours as Mario and Falcon watched Olimar's unsteady breathing, dreading the moment when it might stop. But it seemed, for the time being, that he was hanging on.

Lucario kept an eye on them, wary of the emotional tension he could feel in the air. His ear twitched and his eyes widened as Olimar suddenly stirred, blinking up at his cellmates.

"Am I dead yet? Please don't tell me you guys are my virgins."

Falcon laughed out loud, relieved beyond words.

"Well I can see you haven't lost your snarky sense of humor."

Olimar grinned.

"Well someone needed to lighten the mood. I can smell fear..." he tapped on his glass helmet where his nose was.

Mario smiled half-heartedly.

"How are you-a feelin'?"

Olimar tried to sit up, but Falcon stopped him.

"Not so good, doc. See, I got this pain in my–"

"Shut it, you," Falcon said, thunking on his helmet playfully. "You don't need to be moving around and you know it."

"Yes, mother."

Mario smiled wider. They were both back to normal, bantering and teasing, like always. It was refreshing to see someone trying to hold onto the good things for a change. The negative feel in the air was starting to make him lose heart.

Olimar groaned, and suddenly Mario was brought back to reality. Who was he kidding? He could never expect any of them to act cheerful just for his sake. They were facing grim circumstances, and he needed to man up and account for that. But how could he? How could he possibly help them through this when it was possible they would all die in the end?

Lucario sensed the direction his mind was going and glanced his way.

"Don't do that to yourself."

Olimar and Falcon looked up, confused.

"Wha-?"

Falcon noticed the look on Mario's face, and clapped a large hand on his shoulder. Mario didn't lift his head, preferring to stare at his boots. He just couldn't shake the feeling that everything was so far out of his control that it was no use trying. He'd never felt that way before. He looked at Olimar and his heart lurched. Those angry welts all over his body made him cringe. It's hard to think that Falcon would do something like that, but then again, this was a dog-eat-dog environment. He supposed Olimar allowed it because Falcon would probably get his beating later on, so he just wanted to take his now. He wondered if Olimar knew how these things went; maybe it was because he stayed up late watching scary movies all the time. Whatever the case, he'd sacrificed himself for Falcon, and that had to mean something. Loyalty between brawlers was good to see, especially in a situation like this. It's why he trusted them, because they could always pull together in times of need. But this time, it might not be enough.

Olimar turned to face him and smiled weakly. He reached for Mario's hand and clasped them together. When he pulled away, Mario found a small, yellow seed. A Pikmin seed. It was wrinkled and its leaf was bent, as if it was deformed.

"I've been keeping it in my pocket. It's a defect, so I saved it. Take care of it. It might be useful."

Mario nodded and curled his fingers around it, feeling the strange texture of the seed. It was soft, and surely needed a lot of sunshine to grow, but it was definitely something worth holding on to.

"Thanks."

"No problem. I named him, you know. His name is Éstupido."

Mario laughed.

"Why'd you-a name him that?"

"Well I figure if he's defective, he's gotta have down syndrome or something."

Mario chuckled again, shaking his head sadly.

"_Mama mia,_ that's-a terrible."

Olimar grinned.

"Maybe so. But I'm right."

Falcon jostled him in his lap.

"Don't make fun of the mentally ill."

"_Mooooooom!_"

"Do I look like your mother?!"


	6. Chapter 6

There was a knock at the door.

Strange. Who could it possibly be, at a time like this? He briefly considered ignoring it. For all he knew, it could've been the kidnappers, come back to claim the remainder of the brawlers. But Lucas skipped happily to the door and opened it, so he rushed to his side in case it was an intruder.

There were three standing there. He recognized one immediately. It was Megaman, the legendary fighter he'd heard so much about. Mario had been upset for a while because he didn't help them during the incident with the Subspace Emissary.

Despite this, it was an honor to meet him, and for a second Luigi just stood there, starstruck.

"We heard about what happened, and we'd like to help. This is Wii Fit Trainer," he indicated the pale woman with grey hair. "From what I understand, she doesn't go by anything else, so I just call her 'FT', for short. And this is the Villager–I'm not sure what his real name is...he doesn't speak often. But I know he came from a village, so I call him that. And my name is Megaman. May I say, it's a pleasure to meet you, Luigi."

Luigi snapped out of it long enough to shake his hand.

"The pleasure is-a all mine. Please, come in."

He led them into the living room, and for a second, he recalled the dismal mood of it the last time he was there. He quickly pushed away the thought. The Villager ran off with Lucas for a tour of the mansion, so it was just he, Megaman, and the eerily silent Wii Fit Trainer left.

"What happened, exactly? I heard someone got kidnapped..?"

Luigi sighed.

"There's-a only five of us left. Meta Knight is out searching for them, you've-a already met Lucas, Nana is out buying supplies–"

"For what?"

"I'm-a getting to that. Anyway, I sent Squirtle and Jigglypuff–"

"Hey! Are those the two that came and found us? That turtle and that pink thing?"

FT mumbled something in a language Luigi vaguely recognized. Didn't Marth speak that way too?

Luigi chuckled.

"I guess so. I sent them to find-a help. Where are they?"

Megaman shrugged.

"They dropped us off here and left."

Luigi nodded. They were really putting their backs into it. It was great progress. He stood.

"You asked about the plan. Let-a me show you."


End file.
